Gathering Wives with a System

Chapter 706: Who Are You?

Isaac was genuinely surprised by the sight in front of him. For a moment, he simply stared at the boy standing there, but he made sure not to let his expression reveal what he was thinking. Inwardly, however, he was much happier than he wanted to admit, because if this really was Gael, then one of the people he had thought was lost forever had somehow returned.

Still, Isaac did not allow himself to become careless. Who could say for certain that this person was really Gael? It was possible that Gael had reincarnated, and considering everything Isaac had experienced since leaving Selene’s Trial, he could accept something like that, but there were other possibilities that he could not ignore.

Someone else from the Trial could have seen Gael and Isaac’s interactions and was now impersonating him. It was even possible that someone had somehow looked into Isaac’s mind or the minds of one of his family members and learned enough about Gael to create a convincing act.

Isaac’s mental defenses were extremely strong, but he was not arrogant enough to believe that they were impossible to overcome. There were too many unknown monsters, ancient artifacts, hidden powerhouses, and strange abilities in this world for him to assume that nobody could ever peek into his mind. Until he had enough evidence, he would treat this situation carefully.

Seeing that Isaac remained silent, Gael climbed onto the nearby table and looked at him with an exaggeratedly disappointed expression.

"It’s me. How can you not even recognize me after all this time?" he asked, as though Isaac’s hesitation had genuinely offended him.

Isaac continued staring at him for several seconds before silently asking, "Proof?"

He did not explain himself, because there was no reason to reveal what he was thinking until he was certain about the boy’s identity.

Gael’s expression immediately became amused.

"You know, Master peeks—" he began, but Isaac moved before he could finish the sentence.

Isaac crossed the distance between them in an instant and clamped his hand over Gael’s mouth. He leaned closer and whispered angrily, "Are you crazy? What if she hears you? If you want to die, die alone!"

Gael chuckled behind Isaac’s hand before casually pulling it away from his mouth.

"Sounds like you are still not in a relationship with her. You two are certainly strange," he said, clearly enjoying Isaac’s reaction.

"What do you mean?" Isaac asked, frowning slightly. He was already beginning to understand what Gael was implying, but he wanted to hear the explanation directly from him.

Gael shrugged as though there was nothing unusual about what he had said.

"Well, she peeks into your thoughts, and you let her do it. Do I really need to explain anything more?" he replied with a smile, making it clear that he found the situation amusing.

Isaac stared at him for several seconds. There was no way a complete stranger could know something like that, especially considering how carefully Isaac had kept certain matters from the outside world. Moreover, only Gael could enjoy teasing Isaac about such a matter.

Before Isaac could ask another question, Gael suddenly stepped forward and wrapped his arms around him. Isaac hesitated for a moment before sighing and returning the hug, because despite all the doubts still running through his mind, his heart had already accepted what his mind was struggling to confirm.

It really was Gael.

Isaac still had too many questions that needed answers. Why did Gael look like a young child? Why had he never come to meet them after reincarnating? Why had he waited until now to reveal himself, and why had he chosen to meet Isaac in such a strange place?

Yet those questions could wait for a little longer. For now, Isaac was simply happy to see him again, because Gael had been one of the few disciples Isaac had met during Selene’s Trial who had treated both him and Alice with genuine kindness.

Gael had been mischievous and reckless, and he often caused problems that could have easily been avoided, but he was also dependable when it mattered. To Isaac and Alice, Gael had eventually become more than just another disciple; he had been a friend and, in many ways, something close to an older brother.

Isaac’s heart trembled slightly as memories of the Trial returned to him. He remembered the sadness he had felt when he learned that Gael had died in the past, even though he had not wanted to show that sadness to his wives. At the time, he had accepted that there was nothing he could do about it, so seeing Gael standing here now brought back feelings he had thought he had already buried.

"I’m happy to meet you too. I honestly thought this life would end before I got the chance to meet any of my old connections again," Gael said after they separated, his voice carrying a faint wistfulness.

"I am a new connection though," Isaac retorted with a faint smile. He pulled back before asking, "Anyway, why are you talking like an old man?"

He could understand Gael being emotional about meeting them again, but there was something strange about the way he was speaking.

"Because I am an old man now. I’ve lived for more than a hundred years in this life, and if you include my previous life, I’m older than both you and Master," Gael replied with a grin, apparently pleased with himself.

Isaac looked him up and down before raising an eyebrow.

"You’ve lived for over a hundred years, and you’re still stuck in that young child form? Don’t tell me you have some weird fantasies," he said, his expression becoming suspicious.

"You are just as shameless as before, aren’t you?" he replied, clearly regretting giving Isaac an opening for that joke. The corner of Gael’s eyebrow twitched.

Gael clicked his tongue before jumping down from the table and walking toward the main area of the amusement facility. Isaac followed him, still trying to make sense of everything while keeping an eye on his surroundings.

After a few moments, Isaac finally asked, "So why did you suddenly appear here? Also, you’re someone important among the Florathi, aren’t you? Otherwise, there is no way you could have emptied that locker room so conveniently."